This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Digging Into The Compost Biz

During lunchtime about a year ago, Mike asked Sheilah what she thought about getting into the composting business. Here's how their conversation evolved.

Sheilah: What do you mean what do I think about it? Don’t you think you have enough to do all ready?

Mike: Yeah, but what if we're getting paid to do it?

Sheilah: Well, that’s a different story. Tell me more.

Mike: A Pennsylvania Resource Council rep had been trying to get me interested in composting for several months. I'd never really given him the time of day – until one day when I listened to his spiel.

Mike: It took a little longer than expected to get all the paper work and technicalities done: Applications, permits, site development, inspections, and coordinating with other people who were receiving the produce and scheduling. But we got it done.

Sheilah: Just when I thought this deal was going straight down the drain, Mike called me at work to tell me we were getting compost. And, the first load was supposed to come that afternoon.

Mike: "Supposed to" is right. The truck driver broke down and was running late.

Trying something new on the farm for the first time is an interesting experience to begin with – especially at midnight during a thunderstorm.

Sheilah: It went okay on my end. I slept through the whole thing!

Mike: So far (as of Sept. 1), we've received five loads of produce and are mixing it with ground yard wastes from a local municipality. I had to make some adjustments to our dumping site.

It also took a little while to figure out the best way to get the produce into windrows. But – knock on wood – everything's going fine.

Mike Reskovac is president of Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association. The Reskovacs farm near Uniontown, Pa. Read all their "Two Hearts, One Harvest" columns in American Agriculturist.

This opinion is not necessarily that of FarmProgress.com or the Penton Farm Progress Group.